U.S. Economy and Labor Force

Preliminary data from the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics show that U.S. women gave birth to about 3,606,400 babies in 2025, roughly 710,000 fewer than in 2007 despite a larger overall population. Demographer Brady Hamilton reports the general fertility rate has fallen 23% since 2007 and slipped another 1% from 2024 to 2025, extending a long-running decline without a clear consensus on causes. Researchers point to a mix of economic pressures, cultural change, and expanded access to education and contraception, while noting that births are dropping sharply among teens and women in their 20s and rising somewhat among women in their 30s and 40s. A recent Congressional Budget Office report cited in the piece warns that, combined with sharply reduced immigration under the Trump administration, the trend will speed population aging, shrink the share of Americans 24 and under, and leave the U.S. with about 8 million fewer residents by 2055 than earlier projections. Economists are debating whether this reflects permanent smaller family norms or delayed childbearing, and whether new policies are needed to make it easier for Americans to afford the number of children they say they want.